Re: Star Wars

Fresh off the success of Godzilla, filmmaker Gareth Edwards has lined up his next project, something set in a galaxy far, far away.

Edwards is attached to direct one of the Star Wars spinoff films, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

Gary Whitta (Book of Eli) is writing the script for the movie, which has a release date set for December 16, 2016, said Disney and Lucasfilm in a statement later posted on the official Star Wars website.

Due to the high level of secrecy surrounding the Star Wars development process, it is unclear which spinoff Edwards will tackle.

Speculation has focused on characters such as bounty hunter Boba Fett and Jedi master Yoda as those who might be getting their own movies. There are also rumors of a potential Han Solo origin story or at least something on the Solo clan, and untold adventures of Luke Skywalker.

"Ever since I saw Star Wars I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life - join the Rebel Alliance! I could not be more excited & honored to go on this mission with Lucasfilm," said Edwards in a statement release after THR broke the news.

Earlier in May, Disney CEO Bob Iger stated that there was a plan to make at least three spinoff movies that would be released in between the main installments.

It has been reported that Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg are writing and producing the spinoffs.

The Star Wars project marks an amazing career trajectory for Edwards, who went from making a small creature feature for $500,000, 2010’s Monsters, to getting the assignment to take on Godzilla, a monster in need of a 21st century rehabilitation.

The mission was a success, with the Legendary/Warner Bros. movie overperforming when it opened last weekend, grossing $93.1 million. The movie also received strong critical reviews and plenty of fanboy love.

"Gareth's filmmaking talent makes him one of his generation's most creative and visionary directors,” said Legendary Entertainment’s chairman and CEO Thomas Tull in a statement in response to the Star Wars hire. "The plan has always been for Gareth to direct a different film before we started on another Godzilla, but who knew it would a Star Wars installment? We have a great plan in store for Godzilla fans and I am looking forward to seeing Gareth’s imprint on the Star Wars universe."

WME-repped Edwards is attached to direct Godzilla 2 and 3, but while story ideas exist, the Godzilla 2 project is still in early development and does not even have a script.

That frees up Edwards to be part of what is not only one of the biggest franchises in history, but also a project that is a dream for so many filmmakers who grew up loving and being inspired by the storied George Lucas universe.

Star Wars: Episode VII, with J.J. Abrams directing, just began production in Abu Dhabi. The film is set to hit theaters on Dec. 18, 2015.

Josh Trank 's Star Wars Spinoff

“I spoke very highly of Josh to the Lucasfilm guys. They were interested in him because he, like Rian [Johnson, director of Episode VIII] and like Gareth [Edwards, director of a 2016 spin-off], is very much that next generation filmmaker. He comes from a background of making a big movie without a big budget. Which I think is also, not that these movies…they’ll have huge budgets, but the sort of the tradition that George [Lucas] started was somebody that came from making American Graffiti to making a huge science fiction movie. And so there was some of that sort of vibe I know Lucasfilm likes about these new filmmakers. But yeah, I definitely was involved in that process.”

This would be the perfect spinoff. It would tell the SW story from the Sith perspective, while at the same time maintain a "charismatic" lead character (Star Killer) not very different from previous SW lead characters like Luke Skywalker and Anakin Skywalker.
And in the end, the Star Killer is made to choose whether he would stick to what he was brought up to believe in, or fight against the empire. That would be like the perfect ending.

When asked whether Disney could handle another major brand in its portfolio, Iger wasn't concerned about fitting Lucasfilm's assets into the mix.

"Six years after the Pixar acquisition, there's proof this brand's been handled effectively," Iger said. "We've demonstrated our ability to be ambidexterous. The 'Star Wars' brand doesn't need much help but benefits greatly from the release of a film. When we take over distribution of their films and are the owner of the brand, we're more focused on growing the brand than the third-party distributor was."

While 20th Century Fox still controls distribution rights for the "Star Wars" films that were made and any re-releases in 3D, "We did not factor in any need to acquire rights back from News Corp.," Iger said. "We may choose to explore that, but all value is going-forward value."

Toward that end, Iger said, "Lucas product will be co-branded with Disney's name on it."

That includes consumer products, where Disney saw Marvel's characters, including Spider-Man, helping to propel the division, which saw sales increase 7% for the year to $3.3 billion and profits rise 15% to $937 million. For the quarter, revenue was up 8% to $883 million as profits surged 29% to $267 million.

Iger said he sees the Lucasfilm acquisition as a "great opportunity to infuse our stores with 'Star Wars' merchandise and grow our online business."

Abrams' ambitions to create a multi-platform film franchise will find a more natural home at Disney, analysts and industry experts tell TheWrap. As successful as "Star Trek" has been, few franchises match the profitability and cultural prominence of George Lucas' space opera, which would be difficult for any director to pass up.

Moreover, Willenson notes that Abrams, who has a deal that is believed to include creative and profit participation in "Star Wars" inspired merchandise and spin-offs, will have more control in shaping the legacy of the Skywalker clan than he would have had with developing side projects for the "Star Trek" crew. Unlike with "Star Trek," with its rights split between Paramount and CBS, Disney owns the rights to “Star Wars” outright thanks to its $4 billion purchase of Lucasfilm last year.

"The derivative rights situation on 'Star Trek' is complicated because you’re dealing with cross-company cultures, so it makes it harder to implement a grand plan," Willenson said.

As for Disney's grand "Star Wars" plan, it's sounding an awful lot like the one Abrams once envisioned for "Star Trek." There will be television properties, theme park rides and spin-off films all centered around the new trilogy that Abrams will oversee.

It's a page borrowed from Disney's exploitation of the Marvel comic books and if it works out, it should make Abrams very rich indeed.

Re: Star Wars

Will we see Star Wars references in future GOTG films? Like a flash of Boba Fett's costume in the background, or a lighsaber wielding dude in one of the scenes would be a nice little present to the fans.

Disney couldn’t be reached to confirm whether the film in question would be Star Wars VIII, to be written and directed by Rian Johnson, or one of the spinoffs, but another source later confirmed that it would be the first spinoff movie. The first stand-alone film, to be directed by Gareth Edwards, is due for release Dec. 16, 2016, so it would likely be shot in 2015.

A source revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that, following Star Wars: The Force Awakens wrapping, the latest James Bond movie would be moving into the same studio space.

Re: Star Wars

As one of the few people allowed to visit the set during filming….and one of the fewer who’s seen most of the footage…I can assure the millions of Star Wars fans who have spent the last decade hoping for a new movie this one will be worth the wait. And it’s only the beginning of a new era of exceptional Star Wars storytelling; next year we’ll release our first standalone movie based on these characters, followed by Star Wars: Episode VIII in 2017, and we’ll finish this trilogy with Episode IX in 2019.

Re: Star Wars

HERE IT IS BOYS AND GIRLS!!!!!!! Official teaser trailer 2 and it looks fucking EPIC!!!!!!!!!! Yeee haa!!!!!! December can't come soon enough!!!!!!!!
If you just don't like that last scene, do us all Star Wars fans a favor and just stay home when this hits the movie theaters!

Re: Star Wars

Kylo Ren the new antagonist in this movie have started to grow on me. I like the Nazi-style helmet under his hood (as revealed by the official toys that came out -- and I actually bought a couple myself for my toy collection)!
His saber is now likable and reveals an 'inverted cross' look when held upright.
Overall his look is like a 'Nazi meets the Devil' mashup. What could possibly look more bada$$?

So it seems he belongs to a dark knights order referred to as the "Knights of Ren" (hence his name Kylo Ren -- like Ren is a surname or something). We'll find out soon what that's all about in the movie! I have my own speculations but it's better to just wait for the movie!

I like the fact that they've revealed very little about this movie in spite of it being THIS CLOSE to showing in theaters now. It works this way. Because it keeps the anticipation extra high. I can't wait!

Re: Star Wars

The moment I saw this online this morning I was like "were they trying to say something here?" Because its been a fan speculation for quite sometime now that Kylo Ren and Rey could well be siblings separated by destiny.
And the way the poster was designed with Kylo Ren's light saber aligned with Rey's staff side by side like that... it kind of has like a symbolic bearing. Like it's trying to say something to the fans.

Re: Star Wars

The moment I saw this online this morning I was like "were they trying to say something here?" Because its been a fan speculation for quite sometime now that Kylo Ren and Rey could well be siblings separated by destiny.
And the way the poster was designed with Kylo Ren's light saber aligned with Rey's staff side by side like that... it kind of has like a symbolic bearing. Like it's trying to say something to the fans.

The fans are asking all over Facebook that where is one of the main characters in the poster? Why is he missing and nowhere to be seen?
Who am I talking about? Well, his last name is Skywalker and first name is Luke.
And he can be seen in the poster. Cause he IS Kylo Ren and Rey is his daughter!!!
The Final Trailer will premiere tomorrow! Be sure to check it out!

Re: Star Wars

Originally Posted by frolunda71

The fans are asking all over Facebook that where is one of the main characters in the poster? Why is he missing and nowhere to be seen?
Who am I talking about? Well, his last name is Skywalker and first name is Luke.
And he can be seen in the poster. Cause he IS Kylo Ren and Rey is his daughter!!!
The Final Trailer will premiere tomorrow! Be sure to check it out!

Well I'll be damned. That'd be like the twist of the decade, now wouldn't it?

Re: Star Wars

It was a great trailer.

It was successful in the sense that it was able to amp up the excitement without actually giving anything away. I mean everything in the trailer were things that we already knew from the beginning.
Kylo Ren's the 'new Vader,' Finn turns into the 'here Jedi' in the end, and so on.

But what is the exact origin of Kylo Ren? What motivates him? What about the First Order? Where is Luke and how critical will his role be in the film? Etc. None of these were answered in the trailer.

And I noticed the "Star Trek" touch (since this is directed by a Star Trek director) in the trailer when the ship goes hyperdrive. I thought it was a very nice nod to Star Trek.

Re: Star Wars

Originally Posted by Razor

Well I'll be damned. That'd be like the twist of the decade, now wouldn't it?

Naah. They're just pulling out The Empire Strikes Back card again.
Just watch the trailer and listen to what Kylo Ren says: "I'll finish what you started" as referring to when Vader threw down the Emperor in The Return of the Jedi and by that end the dark side and wanted to turn everybody to the good side.
Then Ren puts his hand against a guys head, most likely a Stormtrooper and turns him good. Then he turns a couple of more till he has his own little Stormtrooper strike force turned to the good side and starts to fight the Empire from the inside so to speak. Then at the end when Chewie, Solo and the others are captured and have that "what the hell is happening?" look on their faces is when he pulls his mask off and reveals himself as Luke and then goes to Rey and says "I am your father". Now how's that for the twist of the decade for you?
And that guy at the very end who is gonna fight Finn, is no doubt Jon Snow from Game of Thrones! Just look at his curly hair!! Dead giveaway!

Re: Star Wars

Originally Posted by frolunda71

Naah. They're just pulling out The Empire Strikes Back card again.
Just watch the trailer and listen to what Kylo Ren says: "I'll finish what you started" as referring to when Vader threw down the Emperor in The Return of the Jedi and by that end the dark side and wanted to turn everybody to the good side.
Then Ren puts his hand against a guys head, most likely a Stormtrooper and turns him good. Then he turns a couple of more till he has his own little Stormtrooper strike force turned to the good side and starts to fight the Empire from the inside so to speak. Then at the end when Chewie, Solo and the others are captured and have that "what the hell is happening?" look on their faces is when he pulls his mask off and reveals himself as Luke and then goes to Rey and says "I am your father". Now how's that for the twist of the decade for you?
And that guy at the very end who is gonna fight Finn, is no doubt Jon Snow from Game of Thrones! Just look at his curly hair!! Dead giveaway!

Its almost like I'm reading the actual script until the Jon Snow part that is!

Anyway, going to the title of the film -- the force AWAKENS -- I don't know if that implies only to the 'light side' of the force.
Because I'm not sure if the dark side of the force was ever dormant at all. Because the order that Kylo Ren belongs to -- the Knights of Ren -- it could have been there for a long time now, only remained underground until it was time to reveal itself.

Re: Star Wars

I envy you folks.

You're clearly very excited for the movie and I wish I was like that. Unfortunately I "lost" my love for "Star Wars" years ago, and no, it's not because of the prequels. I actually enjoyed them as much as the first three movies (yeah, really).

It's just, for whatever reason I don't feel the magic anymore, and at this point "The Force Awakens" is - for me - simply one of the many upcoming mainstream studio movies. I don't even have the urge to see it on the big screen and I'm much more excited for "Spectre".

I guess over the last few years I've seen way too many sci-fi/space movies and maybe that's the reason for me not being as excited as the rest of the planet.

But...that's life.

"You know why the departures and the arrivals at LAX are on separate levels? So the 30,000 heartbreakers that come here each month don't notice the 30,000 that are leaving with their hearts broken."

Re: Star Wars

Gotta ask all you boys and girls out there about IMAX ticket prices.
Sweden just opened its first IMAX theater in Stockholm and the tickets to the new Star Wars movie were sold out to the premiere day (16th over here! ) in less than one hour even when the tickets costs 215SEK. Ordinary tickets costs about 130SEK.
215SEK is in todays currency rate = $25,90 US dollars, €22,80 Euros and £16,80 British Pounds.
Is that a lot more or the about the same what you pay in your own countries for your IMAX tickets?

Re: Star Wars

Originally Posted by Bayhem

I envy you folks.

You're clearly very excited for the movie and I wish I was like that. Unfortunately I "lost" my love for "Star Wars" years ago, and no, it's not because of the prequels. I actually enjoyed them as much as the first three movies (yeah, really).

It's just, for whatever reason I don't feel the magic anymore, and at this point "The Force Awakens" is - for me - simply one of the many upcoming mainstream studio movies. I don't even have the urge to see it on the big screen and I'm much more excited for "Spectre".

I guess over the last few years I've seen way too many sci-fi/space movies and maybe that's the reason for me not being as excited as the rest of the planet.

But...that's life.

I get where you're coming from. For me personally I also know that this will be another "good guys win in the end" movie.
But for me what keeps SW exciting is the fact that, unlike movies such as the Fast and Furious where the characters remain the same over the course of all 7 films, the characters in SW regularly change. So there is a feeling of "we're getting somewhere."

With SW7 I'm excited to revisit the world of SW to see what the next generations of people in that universe are like. For sure they will have traits similar to their predecessors. Kylo Ren has similarities to Vader. Rey has similarities to Luke. So there is a feeling of new but at the same time a feeling of the past intact.

Re: Star Wars

I have a theory: maybe Luke dies really early in the film (hence him being absent in the posters and trailers), and then his spirit or energy or whatever is transmitted into Finn, which explains HOW Finn was able to become a lightsaber-wielder so fast.
I mean it takes YEARS of practice to be a Jedi. And somehow it doesn't add up that he can be seen in the trailer wielding a lightsaber fighting someone like Kylo Ren, when he was only a Stormtrooper yesterday? And more striking is, he can be seen wielding the very lightsaber that belonged to Luke (at least according to some fan speculation the saber was Luke's).

Re: Star Wars

Originally Posted by Razor

I have a theory: maybe Luke dies really early in the film (hence him being absent in the posters and trailers), and then his spirit or energy or whatever is transmitted into Finn, which explains HOW Finn was able to become a lightsaber-wielder so fast.
I mean it takes YEARS of practice to be a Jedi. And somehow it doesn't add up that he can be seen in the trailer wielding a lightsaber fighting someone like Kylo Ren, when he was only a Stormtrooper yesterday? And more striking is, he can be seen wielding the very lightsaber that belonged to Luke (at least according to some fan speculation the saber was Luke's).

I don't think it's Luke's. Luke's Lightsaber emitted a green blade while the one kylo uses is Blue. The only time Luke had a Blue lightsaber was in the Empire Strikes Back and that Lightsaber went to the same place Luke's hand went. Unless someone, somewhere, retrieved it.

"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I expect the same from them."
-John Wayne (The Shootist)